Greetings Earthlings,
It’s been a few days since I posted, and in that time, there have been some more mixed experiences. I am happy to say that overall, though, things are looking up.
I didn’t get any help from anyone at Summit North Marina on the C and D canal. They were busy with hauling boats. So I left with the same issues I arrived with, but with a little more fuel, and a lot less trash.
The run down the Chesapeake to Annapolis was pretty good. It was cold, but clear, and there was some wind out of the west. It kicked up some chop, but I was able to hug the shoreline and things smoothed out throughout the day. There was almost no traffic. Most of the time, I was the only rube out there. Just me and 975 thousand crab pots. I think I missed them all.
I’d gotten a late start owing to my fuel stop, and by the time I came into Annapolis, I was out of daylight. I got into the Eastport Yacht Center alright, but couldn’t find my slip. I looked around in the dark, and tried calling, but no luck. I headed back out into the dark, thankful that I had a good chart plotting software, but still scared of the now invisible crab pots, and dropped the anchor. It was a cold, rolly night, and despite running the engine all day, my house bank was in a sorry state. I made it an early night.
Yesterday morning, with some difficulty, I got the anchor up, and made my way into the dock. I’d anchored in about 40 feet of water, and had run out a lot of chain. Most of my chain, in fact, and it didn’t want to run back through the spill pipe into the chain locker. I swore at it a few times, and that seemed to help.
Half an hour later, I was secured at my slip, and had paid up until January. It’s a nice place, this. The price is reasonable, and the staff are pleasant and accommodating. I’ve gotten a bunch of chores done, and the on-site technicians have already started troubleshooting my electrical issues. The problem seems to lie in my inverter/charger. He’s got it off the boat and is doing some diagnostic work. Hopefully it’s something simple like a fuse, but the whole thing could conceivably be shot. Either way, I hope it’s expensive! We shall see. In the mean time, I’m receiving shore power, and have reverted to being a civilized human being again. I have hot water, I can run as many lights as I want for as long as I want, and I can even plug things in! What a fascinating modern age we live in.
Annapolis marks a bit of a milestone. This is the first place I’ve gotten to on this trip south that I’d actually been looking forward to. Everything from the Hudson to here was just kind of a commute. I feel like I’m cruising now. I hadn’t spent much time here before, but I’d seen enough to know that I liked it, and wanted to come back. I’m relieved to say that I still like it here, and I’m happy to be back.
I got a hot shower, put on my best underpants, got myself a crab cake and an IPA, and went and saw a movie. It was a nice night out. I even talked to people. Tomorrow I’m gonna sleep in, maybe check out the maritime museum that’s right next door, and then maybe wander into town. I’m looking forward to spending time here.
